Cara's Sister
by littlesolo
Summary: Hunger Games X-over. Cara's older sister wasn't Grace. Her older sister was Johanna Mason, and they had been separated ever since she had been selected for the games. Cara trained hard as a Mordsith not only to be the best, but in hopes that someday she would reunite with her sister. Traveling now with the Confessor, it seems even more possible. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

Cara had kept the news of her sister to herself, knowing better than to get her hopes up. That was short lived however. Upon entering a larger and wealthier town, the news reached the others ears. Cara met Kahlan, Richard, and Zedd's gazes with her usual shrug. At the town hall the group reviewed the footage of her sister in the previous Hunger Games.  
Cara remembered watching it at the Mordsith temple with her sisters. She had received numerous beatings from her sisters for Johanna's perceived weakness, which made her sister's victory all that much more satisfying.  
She saw Richard and Zedd cast her questioning glances as they watched Johanna scream in terror. It was Kahlan's face that drew her interest though. She seemed to see something, sense something. Kahlan was the only one not surprised when the tables were turned and Johanna unleashed vicious attacks upon her enemies. Richard drew in a sharp breath and turned away. "Well, she definitely is your sister!" joked Richard, earning a glare from Kahlan and a raised eyebrow from Cara. "I- I just meant you are both very skilled and cunning" he hastily amended.

* * *

Later in their room at the inn, Kahlan surprised Cara by embracing her in a hug. The two of them had become closer over their quest and possibly towards something more. "You had already been taken to become a Mordsith hadn't you?" mumbled Kahlan into Cara's neck. "I can't imagine having my sister taken to the Games much less enduring my own suffering at the same time." Cara felt a pain that she hadn't felt in since the last time her sister was in the Games well up in her chest. Kahlan tightened her hold as Cara started to try and get free. "I promise to do everything I can to get you to see your sister again." As soon as the promise was whispered into her ear, Cara gave in and returned the embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

They had watched, along with everyone else, the events of the Quarter Quell. It had been decided that it was best if the Seeker stayed behind, but Zedd had managed to get them to back to District 7, where Kahlan and Cara had watched on the screens in Cara's childhood home. Cara had watched Johanna, her sister that she hadn't seen in fifteen years, as she showed her open defiance towards the Capitol in her interview. Kahlan, however, was watching Cara. When they had arrived at the home, it was obvious that no one had lived here for quite some time. Initially, they had worried that they would be found by some Capitol reporter doing a background story. Fortunately, all their time sleeping in the woods on their quest made spending time in the house even without using the electricity a luxury.  
They had watched the Capitol's special on the victors and once again had seen the footage of Johanna in the 71st Hunger Games. Kahlan watched the young woman, the youngest victor before Katniss Everdeen, as she pretended to be weak and frightened until the number of tributes had dwindled. Then came the predator. The sudden turn had been startling and unsettling. It reminded Kahlan of how Cara could be alluring and sensual one moment and then absolutely deadly the next.  
The topic of the games themselves were never discussed more than necessary, but Kahlan didn't need to be a confessor to see. While the sisters may have been separated, they both ended up with similar fates. Richard had remarked on how one could tell they were sisters because of their demeanors. He had meant the comment in jest, but the more Kahlan saw she realized how thoughtless it had been. Cara had been tortured for years to become a Mordsith and had taken countless lives. The magic Darken Rahl used to break her was a testament to the impact it had on her. Johanna had been forced into game of life and death very suddenly at an age where their exact meaning were still unclear. While the commentators went on about the viciousness and brutality of her kills, Kahlan saw it as a desperate attempt to stay alive. Kahlan had seen it in Cara when she fought against her sisters. Cara was able to handle with pain from arrows and blades, but agiels- her weapon of choice but also her torturer for so many years- she fought with animal like ferocity to escape that fate. Kahlan had experienced it herself when she flew into a blood rage. What she saw on the screen was a young girl who had been manipulated for too long and was going to make sure the Capitol didn't get to decide when she died as well. As if the horrific experience weren't torture enough, Johanna had then had to mentor future tributes every year. Knowing that no matter well she tried to prepare them, they were probably going to their deaths.  
Now, the Capitol had been given another chance to kill her.  
When they weren't watching coverage on Johanna, they went through the house. Cara's fingertips brushed the tops of objects as she recalled vague memories but Kahlan had to stop after awhile. There were a handful of family photos on display and they made Kahlan's heart break. They were the photos of a happy family with two young smiling girls. Kahlan had only seen Cara smile like she did in these old photos that time when she thought it was snowing and when she told her about the birth of the Night Wisps. Since they had arrived, nightmares had plagued Cara's sleep and Kahlan did her best to sooth them away. But what could she say? Cara must have realized that even if she hadn't been taken by the Mordsith, her life may not have turned out any better. An old family friend told them that two weeks after Johanna had won, their mother had been killed in retaliation for Johanna's refusal to do something for President Snow.  
Then the games began. When Johanna made an alliance with Wiress and Beetee, both Cara and Kahlan had been confused. As Johanna grew increasingly irritated with the pair, Kahlan was unable to hold back her laughter.  
"Care to share, Confessor?" ask Cara with a pointed look.  
"It's nothing really. Johanna's just reminding me of how you often dealt with a certain wizard and Seeker". Cara's face softened and a ghost of a smirk appeared.  
"Well if the wizard wasn't always hungry and Richard didn't need to save every creature he encountered..."  
_"WILL YOU QUIT SINGING!"_ hissed Johanna at Wiress, causing Cara and Kahlan chuckle.

"Now, why didn't I ever think of that?" wondered Kahlan aloud as Finnick Odair dragged Johanna into the water to calm her down.  
"Because you enjoy living" answered Cara as she settled down next to her and passed her a bowl of stew.

_"I'm not like the rest of you. There's no one left I love"_. Cara's face had turned pale as her sister uttered those words. Had they been in the woods still, Cara would have gone for a walk, but unable to leave and possibly miss something happening to Johanna, Kahlan simply averted her gaze and cleaned up their dishes, ignoring the few tears running down Cara's face. Since Mordsith were more or less extinct now, the victor special on Johanna had explained that Cara had died in a District 7 accident as a young girl. The excuse was flimsy but made Johanna's story all the more tragic to viewers.  
If they did manage to reunite, how would anyone explain it?

* * *

**AN: TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Following the chaos of the games, Kahlan and Cara had managed to secure passage to District 13. As the lone surviving member of Johanna's family, it was the safest place for them to be. Once they got there, they were placed in a quarters somewhat isolated from everyone else due to the fact that Coin was very wary of their Confessor and Mordsith abilities. Normally, Kahlan would have expected Cara to put up a fight, but once she'd heard that her sister had been taken by the Capitol, her face had gone ashen and she'd all but collapsed where she stood. Kahlan had caught her around the waist as Cara's legs gave out.  
Kahlan had tucked Cara into one of the beds and then sat on the one across from it, trying to process everything that had happened. She had no idea how Cara had managed this long. They had watched as Johanna teamed up with the others, the group's dynamic reminding her of what their's had been when Cara had first joined. Katniss seemed to only trust Johanna because Finnick did, which brought a pang to Kahlan's heart as she remembered that she had only grudgingly trusted Cara because Richard had.

_"I don't care if you are knocked up, I'll still rip your throat out"_. That comment certainly hadn't helped things, but it put to rest any question of whether or not the sisters would get along once they were reunited. It also hadn't escaped her notice that when the cornucopia spun, Johanna had reached out to try and grab hold of the other girl. Although, when Johanna had hit Katniss with the coil and then sliced at her wrist. Kahlan couldn't help but turn to Cara with the question on her lips, but Cara had cut her off before she could ask.  
"If she'd wanted to killed her, she'd be dead. She would have taken her axe to her throat not her wrist". That being said, neither of them could tell what the endgame might be until the coverage was interrupted.  
A man named Mathias had been an old friend of Cara's father and had somehow gotten overlooked when the Capitol slaughtered all of their family and close friends. He had been looking after the two of them and had gotten them safe passage to District 13, but had stayed behind once they had boarded the train. Kahlan worried about him briefly, before Cara's nightmares drew Kahlan to her side where she did her best to sooth her. Not knowing what to say, she simply held Cara close, letting her nuzzle under her neck. Kahlan had gotten her sister back and thankfully since then, Denee had remained safe and happy. Cara had known that her sister had been the victor of her first games but due to President Snow's cruel twist, Cara could have lost her again in the games. And now, her sister was captured and in Snow's clutches. She let Cara cling to her as she cried as she rubbed soothing circles on her back.

* * *

After the first few days, Cara found a job helping train new soldiers. Of course, for her to fully qualify, she had needed to pass the course herself- specifically the firearms portion. Kahlan was by her side through it all, their time on the quest making a majority of it simple, but it kept their minds off worrying and their bodies too tired to do anything more than sleep.  
When it was announced that the rescue had been successful, Kahlan hadn't known what to expect. Cara had gone to see to get a glimpse of her sister but even from back where Kahlan was standing, Johanna looked small and broken. Cara had then turned and walked back to their quarters, avoiding the looks that Katniss and Finnick gave her.


	4. Chapter 4

Cara had met both Katniss and Finnick in the weeks at District 13 before the rescue. Thankfully, neither of them were stupid enough to offer an apology or any other form of sentiment when it came to Johanna's capture, knowing it didn't help Johanna or the others captured situation any. To both Katniss and Kahlan's surprise, Cara and Finnick got along well rather quickly. Katniss must have asked about it because as she went to return her tray, she heard Finnick explain, "Even if they haven't seen each other in fifteen years, she's a lot like her sister". She didn't even try to stop the smirk that appeared when she heard Katniss grumble, "_Fantastic_".  
She waited a week before going to try and visit Johanna but wound up waiting another two days. Her first attempt didn't even get her in the room and Kahlan was honestly surprised no one wound up dead. The doctor had decided to announce her visit by telling Johanna, "your sister is here". In what Cara saw as a completely _natural_ reaction to being told that a relative that you've thought dead for years has shown up, Johanna went into a panic fueled rage. The doctor left the room as two nurses sedated her amongst her screams of no matter Capitol torture they used she still wouldn't tell them anything. Cara had walked out into hall and collapsed into Kahlan's arms and let herself be led back to their quarters, but not before breaking the doctor's jaw.

* * *

When she visited the Johanna two days later, she was sitting in the chair next to Johanna's bed when she came out of a morphling induced sleep.  
"Someone changed my doctor" stated Johanna after looking at Cara for a while.  
"Between your rages and my breaking his jaw, it was thought that might be best for his sake". Johanna snorted in agreement.  
"So it's true. You are alive, although you look different without the usual Mordsith leathers" commented Johanna as she turned on her side to face Cara. Like everyone else in 13, Cara was dressed grey clothing.  
"Mmm. Coin thought my leathers were too intimidating. Hasn't stopped the whispers or looks though, not that I mind. I wasn't aware you'd heard anything about me".  
"From Annie Cresta, Finnick's girl, from District 4. She's not exactly 'all there' a lot of the time, but she'd heard that possibly the last Mordsith was on a quest with a Confessor, Wizard and Seeker". Cara rolled her eyes.  
"Thankfully, only the Confessor came with me".  
They were interrupted once by Prim who said that the doctors had declared visiting hours over, but that since this end was mostly run by her Mother, Cara was free to stay as long as she liked. After checking over Johanna's wounds again, Prim left them alone.  
Kahlan dropped by sometime later to find the two discussing the training and their preferred choice in weapons.

* * *

Their discussions on training came in handy when it came to Johanna knowing what to expect, but otherwise they saw very little of each other. To ensure that there wasn't any favoritism, Coin had switched Cara and Kahlan to a different schedule, making sure they never encountered Johanna while she was in training. Cara was, however, overseeing Finnick's training along with Kahlan. Johanna and Cara did manage to eat evening meals together and neither of them minded the wary looks and some of the younger soldiers clumsy attempts to get out of their way as they went back to quarters. Apparently, their reputation as skilled fighters as well as their temper preceded them.

Despite their status instructors they had to pass The Block along with the others. Kahlan was forbidden from doing so, not by Coin but by Cara, who promised to enlist the help of her sister when it came to restraining her should Kahlan attempt to go to The Block. Being the Mother Confessor as well as the _last_ Confessor made her too valuable to possibly lose in battle.

* * *

After coming out of her catatonic state, Johanna noticed her sister sitting next to her bed again.  
"Hey Brainless. Tell me you didn't stay behind just because I couldn't handle some water. If you did, I might have to kill you myself".  
"No, I didn't pass either". Johanna shot her a disbelieving look. She'd caught a glimpse of Cara training some of the new soldiers and knew she was more than capable.  
"Rats. I can't handle rats. And those are just normal sized rats, not the beaver sized ones that are apparently common in the Capitol".  
Over the next few hours Johanna told Cara about her torture at the Capitol and Cara explained her fear of rats.  
Kahlan and Annie joined them as that conversation was ending.  
"Great. Nice job Brainless, now I'm afraid if water and rats".  
"Something you should have seen coming. Since I'm so lacking in mental capabilities, I don't know why you would have expected me to have thought that far ahead". Kahlan couldn't help but smile. Anyone expecting to come and see two women having a heartfelt conversation would be very disappointed. On second thought though, Kahlan might have to reconsider, given how passionately Johanna was arguing with Cara that axes were better than knives in everything from self defense to everyday uses. It was certainly not like any conversation she'd ever had with Dennee, but given their pasts it seemed it would become the usual sort of topic between the two Mason sisters.

* * *

**AN: TBC (One more chapter)**


	5. Chapter 5

Kahlan had taken to spending time with Annie Odair. She had heard the rumors that Annie was "not all there" at times but after listening to the tortured screams of her friends while they were held a the Capitol, Kahlan couldn't imagine who would be. And that was on top of everything she'd suffered through her turn in the games.  
Johanna was determined to get past her fear of water and had enlisted Cara's help in doing so. During this time, Kahlan would go and chat with Annie, the both of them doing their best to ignore Johanna's occasional screams from down the hall. Kahlan asked Annie how she had heard about Cara and the Seeker's quest and learned that some sailors that Richard had helped on one of their many side adventures. Through their chats, Kahlan had finally been able to name the feeling that had been bugging her for a while now and making her chest feel heavy. After spending time with Johanna, Finnick, and Katniss, she was able to see that Finnick was the only person Johanna could really call a friend. While Johanna and Katniss had grown closer, they were more allies than friends. They helped each other through training and had a shared understanding of demons that very few others would ever understand. But despite all this, it was Finnick that she turned to for advice or simply talk to.  
Kahlan had run all these thoughts by Annie explaining that it reminded her too much of when Cara had first joined their quest. Even when it became clear that Cara held nothing but sibling like feelings for Richard, Kahlan hadn't been able to shake her doubts.  
"But you trust her now" commented Annie and Kahlan had blushed and nodded before sadness overtook her again.  
"But there were so many times I had come close to asking Richard to send her away...I asked him if he trusted her enough times for it to be insulting. If he had though...to become a Mordsith, a person must be broken. I had no idea that at the same time Cara was being trained she was watching her sister in the games. It must have made the whole ordeal twice as painful. But if we had sent her away and she had come back? Only to be used as leverage against Johanna?" Kahlan couldn't fathom such a tortured existence.  
"I always knew Finnick loved me" began Annie, getting Kahlan to turn and look at her. "But I worried about Johanna. I was worried that Jo would fall for Finnick, but like Cara and Richard, the love they have for each other is like siblings. They would see more of each other since they were mentors each year, and despite your advice, it's nice to have the support of someone who understands when your tribute inevitably dies in the arena. I still worry about Jo, I think that she feels love and happiness are things not meant for her. Since Cara got here though, she seems...happier- in her own way". Kahlan and Annie shared a smile. Cara and Johanna never expressed themselves in ways that others would find to be conventionally happy. The other day, Kahlan and Annie had been walking around with Prim so that she could find them and say they were doing well. Much to the doctors displeasure, neither sister made any effort to keep their appointments, despite it being imprinted on their skin. They had found the two sparring with training weapons in one of the matted rooms. The weapons were designed to function as usual but should they come in contact with skin, it would leave a blue or purple mark. Both sisters were sweaty and sporting feral grins, Johanna with her axe and Cara with two batons. Annie had been shaken at first, given the ferocity they were going at each other, until she heard Cara exclaim "Bink!" as she tapped the area under Jo's left ear and left a blue mark. Then it was all Annie could do to contain her giggles as Johanna's face went from puzzled, to shocked, to outraged in a matter of seconds before letting out a yell and launching herself at her sister. It had eventually devolved into a grappling match where each sister had the other pinned and neither could move, but neither was willing to let go first. When they decided to finally let go and rolled away from each other, Cara took a moment to examine Jo's axe where she discovered there was a knife concealed in the base of the handle.  
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Johanna as she walked over to get a better look. She turned it over in her hands and then shrugged. "Huh. Good to know I guess, but it's not like I've needed it before" commented Johanna with an arrogant smirk. Cara responded with one of her own and shoved Johanna towards the door.

* * *

**AN: Okay so I lied. There are probably one or two more chapters left. And I'm still working on my other story too, but this one is bugging me more. Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Thankfully, they were almost to Annie's room when a soldier told them of Finnick's death. Johanna and Kahlan were able catch her as she began to violently shake and seemingly collapse in on herself. Prim took off as they got her to her bed and helped her sit down. No one knew what to say. Given all their histories, sentiments like "you'll be alright" and "I'm so sorry" were just hollow words. Prim came back in with a light knock on the door and handed Annie the dress shirt Finnick had been wearing at the wedding.  
"They had all the wedding clothing packed up to go into storage along with some of Katniss' things. I figured it might still smell like him". Annie gently handled the shirt and brought it to her face.  
"Thank you" whispered Annie as the tears kept pouring from her eyes.  
"I'm here for anything you need, Annie. Anything, just ask" said Johanna as she squatted next to her and squeezed her hand gently.  
"I need Finnick. The baby was supposed to be _ours_, not just mine" said Annie as she got a distant look in her eye. Johanna fell backwards hard.  
"The...what?"  
"I'm pregnant. We weren't going to announce until Finnick came back..." Any tears that had ebbed, started up again. Kahlan silently motioned for Johanna and Cara to go while she stayed with Annie, who was crying herself to sleep.

* * *

Cara and Johanna found themselves back in the training room, but neither was in the mood to spar. Sprawled out on the mats, they stared at the ceiling.  
"I feel sad...a sense of loss" thought Johanna aloud.  
"Aren't you supposed to when a friend dies?" threw back Cara, but in a tone that made it seem like even she was unsure.  
"I don't know. I mean, I can't remember. I haven't felt like this since I got Mother and all our friends killed". Johanna stole a quick look over at her sister. She hadn't meant to put it as bluntly as that, it had just tumbled out that way.  
"If you're expecting me to get mad, I'm not going to seeing how it'd be hypocritical since I killed Father". They walked back to the room Cara had was sharing with Kahlan and were grateful when they found it still empty. After settling on the beds, Johanna spoke first. "Snow had wanted me to whore myself out like he had Finnick doing. I said no, that I had played my part in the games and that was all I had to do. I came home and Mother was seated at the table, Father's old axe still in her back. Next to one of her hands that was resting on the table, was one of Snow's stupid white roses. In case the axe hadn't been enough of a hint in telling me it was my fault. Remember the Landry's?" Cara nodded. They were good friends with her parents and had three older boys and two girls around their ages. "I stupidly ran to their house for help but they were all dead too. A nice little bouquet of white roses though were waiting in the doorway". They lay in silence for a few minutes before Cara started.  
"When they took me to become a Mordsith, they came back and got Father. I didn't know they had burned his vocal chords so that he couldn't speak. They convinced me that he had sold me to them. It was so stupid but at the time it seemed to make sense. The look in his eyes though...had I thought about it for just another second, I would have known it couldn't be true".  
"And they would have killed you both".  
"Instead, he spent his last moments with his youngest holding an agiel to his heart". A thick silence filled the room. The Cara before Richard would have told Johanna that she would have made a Mordsith Cara would have been honored to call her sister. Now, after the quest, and the banglings, and curses, it sounded as horrific as being told she would have easily come out the victor in the arena. Neither of them could change their past but they could still move forward.  
"Well, Annie's pregnant. Quick, what do you know about babies?" asked Johanna.  
"I had one once. A boy. Darken Rahl took him from me before I could even think up a name for him". Having not expected such a serious answer, Johanna rolled over on her bed to gaze at her sister.  
"Do you think there's a chance he's still alive?"  
"I don't know. When he was re-breaking me, he told me that he'd killed him. But Darken Rahl always tried to think ahead, and killing a potential heir or a least a body he could take over, doesn't seem lime something he'd do. But I'm sure I wasn't the first Mordsith to give him a son, so who knows".  
"Maybe there's a spell that Wizard could cast to see. While he's at it maybe he can find me a book. I mean, I know I promised Annie that I'd help her with anything, and I will. But what the hell do I know about kids?"  
"Are you worried Annie won't be a good Mother?" asked Cara with a quirk of her eyebrow, as she rolled onto her stomach but kept her face towards her sister. Johanna snorted and waved her off. "Annie names the turtles at the pond. She's patient and kind. She'll be a great Mother. So what do I do?"  
"Stick with the basics. Keep the house running I suppose".  
It was easier than expected, reconnecting with her sister. Cara had helped her get past her fear of water enough so that she could at least bath herself. The shower it self had been ruled out immediately. They had tried the bathtub first at almost full and then at half. Between their combined strengths and Johanna's added anxiety fueled adrenaline, a number of their first attempts ended with Cara being flipped into the tub. She still never lost her patience. Eventually, they found that by letting Johanna control the amount of water by filling a bucket, it was manageable.  
"I suppose you'll have to keep from calling the child 'brainless'" commented Cara. Johanna made a face.  
"I call everyone brainless".  
"And if the child, by some twist, turns out to _be_ brainless?" asked Cara as she shot her sister a look. Johanna stared at her before covering her face with her hands and groaning.

"They cry a lot too".

"Stop helping".


End file.
